It’s Boxing Day, everyone… good luck on good deals out there because I ain’t taking advantage unless there’s a good online deal that I can grab.
Such a strange thing to be dedicating a Bite commentary to… Boxing Day… but hey, you know what? I figure something a little more light-hearted and jovial would be in order for this series. After all, what’s the point in sticking with depressing subject matters the whole time? Let’s tackle something fun and exciting… like why I no longer do the Boxing Day thing and share some happy moments from when I did the Boxing Day thing.
So yes, I no longer participate in the Boxing Day festivities of December 26th. In truth, I haven’t done that in years. All the big purchases were made beforehand and what’s left on sale usually isn’t worth it. That, and this is when I’m starting to pinch a little. Save a bit of money to focus on other needs in the coming days. Besides, what would be the point of Boxing Day for me anyway? There’s very little that I’m interested in buying and whatever is there is either already sold out or not applicable to any special… and yes, I’ve had both happen to me on countless occasions. It’s what largely had me going, “To hell with this. I’m done.”
That having been said, there was a time when I had been looking forward to Boxing Day the most. That’s when I can drop buy the local Future Shop (the Canadian-brand version of Best Buy before Best Buy bought the thing and killed it off) or EB Games (the former name of Gamestop that some Canadian outlets are trying and failing to bring back) and look forward to some pretty slick deals. Boxing Day was certainly a boon for building that early Xbox (OG model, kids) collection. Sonic Mega Collection, Knights Of The Old Republic, Mortal Kombat Deception, a DVD remote gimmick, and a free copy of Brute Force (that I’ve seen given away… oops) got me off on the right foot… and then one of my cousins offered the original Star Wars Battlefront and some other game that I’ve long since given away as a side gift and I’m like “I’m all set, kids.”
Boxing Day wasn’t the cynical thing that it always was. It was the thing I looked forward to most whenever I was in the mood to get new games, movies, and other bits and bobs. Because that was the rare time when such things would subject to really good specials; before that, your best bet was lucking out on some random special deal. Most of the time, you have clothes and furnishings on sale, but those are almost always on sale at some shop somewhere. It rings less hollow when that’s all you have to look forward to. Most recently, however, Boxing Day is when I’d get some good book deals (to purchase, not to produce… that’s a different thing altogether) and add a few more books to the ol’ coffee table.
But once you get past the notion that December 26th is no longer this one time deal, but rather the first of a week long sales event, the idea of getting in there, dealing with long lines and often smelly citizens, hoping for the thing you went there for to still be there and be at a price point you can go for, and coming away satisfied starts to feel a bit far-fetched. Hell, Black Friday deals aren’t just Black Friday deals; you’ve got a week before that and then that’s followed by Cyber Monday deals. Hell, how many times a year does Amazon throw up a big Prime Day deal or some other thing like that?
Like many things I experienced growing up, Boxing Day used to be a special event… until it eventually wasn’t. Now it’s just a thing that happens while I stay home and contemplate the meaning life or some shit like that… or maybe visit some relatives I hadn’t got the chance to visit. Either one works for me, brother.
Anyway, that’s my spiel on the matter. For those who still endure the thrill of Boxing Day, I wish you all the best and hope you get some good deals on stuff. Enjoy the rest of the Holiday season, kids.
Later.
dtm666 